Systems and methods for creating and displaying a user interface for displaying hierarchical data

• US 20050160379A1
• Filed: 03/14/2005
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Roberts, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,320,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A graphical user interface for displaying hierarchical data, such as extensible markup language (XML) data, in hypertext markup language (HTML) format in a convenient and efficient manner. For data having subordinate data, an actuatable subordinate data indicator is displayed on the user interface. When actuated, the subordinate data is displayed in a similar format as the parent data. Two methods are described for building the tables. A first method initially parses all the data and builds the necessary tables for display. A second method initially parses only the top level of data and then builds subordinate tables as they are requested by a user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying hierarchical data, the method comprising:

displaying a first table that shows one or more first-level data items included in a hierarchical data set, the hierarchical data set expressed by a markup language, the first table having a row corresponding to each first-level data item and one or more columns that each correspond to a first-level data sub-item associated with the first-level data item of a corresponding row;

displaying at least a portion of a second table that shows one or more second-level data items in the hierarchical data set, the second table having a row corresponding to each second-level data item and one or more columns that each correspond to a second-level data sub-item associated with the second-level data item of a corresponding row;

displaying one or more actuatable subordinate data icons, each in a column of a row in the first table that, when actuated, causes at least a portion of the second table to be displayed; and

wherein the actuatable subordinate data icon is only displayed if there is second-level data that corresponds with the first-level data sub-item associated with the column in which the actuatable subordinate data icon is displayed.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a row in the first table that contains the actuated subordinate data icon remains visible after the second table is displayed.

5. One or more computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the following steps:

building a first-level display for a first level of data in the hierarchical data, the hierarchical data expressed by a markup language, the first-level display having one or more actuatable subordinate data indicators that are displayed for each data item that has second-level data associated with it;

displaying the first-level display;

when a subordinate data indicator is actuated, building a second-level display for the second level of data in the hierarchical data that is associated with the data item corresponding to the subordinate data indicator that has been actuated; and

displaying the second-level display.

6. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 5, wherein the hierarchical data is extensible markup language (XML) data.

7. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 5, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the following steps:

including a second-level subordinate data indicator in the second-level display for each data item that has third-level data associated with it;

when a second-level subordinate data indicator is actuated, building a third-level display for the third level of data in the hierarchical data that is associated with the data item corresponding to the second-level subordinate data indicator that has been actuated; and

displaying the third-level display.

8. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 5, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the following steps:

determining if the second-level display has been previously created; and

creating the second-level display only if the second-level display has not previously been created.

9. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the determining if the second-level display has been previously created further comprises referencing a data path that indicates whether the second-level display has been previously created.

10. The computer-readable media as recited in claim 8, wherein the determining if the second-level display has been previously created further comprises referencing a data path that indicates whether the second-level display has previously been created, and wherein the method further comprises appending information to the data path when the second-level display is created if the second-level display has not previously been created, the information indicating that the second-level display has been created.

11. A system configured to display hierarchical data, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory into which a plurality of computer-executable instructions are loaded, the plurality of instructions performing a method comprising;

building a first-level display for a first level of data in the hierarchical data, the hierarchical data expressed by a markup language, the first-level display having one or more actuatable subordinate data indicators that are displayed for each data item that has second-level data associated with it;

displaying the first-level display;

when a subordinate data indicator is actuated, building a second-level display for the second level of data in the hierarchical data that is associated with the data item corresponding to the subordinate data indicator that has been actuated; and

displaying the second-level display.

3. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

displaying at least a portion of a third table that shows one or more third-level data items in the hierarchical data set, the third table having a row corresponding to each third-level data item and one or more columns that each correspond to a third-level data sub-item associated with the third-level data item of a corresponding row;

displaying one or more actuatable subordinate data icons in the second table, each in a column of a row in the second table that, when actuated, causes at least a portion of the third table to be displayed; and

wherein the actuatable subordinate data icon is only displayed in the second table if there is third-level data that corresponds with the second-level data sub-item associated with the column in which the actuatable subordinate data icon is displayed.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein a row in the second table that contains the actuated subordinate data icon remains visible after the third table is displayed.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the hierarchical data is extensible markup language (XML) data.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

including a second-level subordinate data indicator in the second-level display for each data item that has third-level data associated with it;

when a second-level subordinate data indicator is actuated, building a third-level display for the third level of data in the hierarchical data that is associated with the data item corresponding to the second-level subordinate data indicator that has been actuated; and

displaying the third-level display.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

determining if the second-level display has been previously created; and

creating the second-level display only if the second-level display has not previously been created.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the determining if the second-level display has been previously created further comprises referencing a data path that indicates whether the second-level display has been previously created.

16. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the determining if the second-level display has been previously created further comprises referencing a data path that indicates whether the second-level display has previously been created, and wherein the method further comprises appending information to the data path when the second-level display is created if the second-level display has not previously been created, the information indicating that the second-level display has been created.